Jailed Kurdish rebel to make "historic call" in Turkey peace process

March 18, 2013|Reuters

ISTANBUL, March 18 (Reuters) - Jailed Kurdish rebel leaderAbdullah Ocalan said he will make a "historic call" on March 21as part of a process to end a 28-year-old insurgency, accordingto a statement read by the head of Turkey's pro-Kurdishparliamentary party on Monday.

Ocalan is expected to issue a ceasefire call to his fightersand possibly call on them to withdraw from Turkey. Peace andDemocracy Party (BDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas conveyedOcalan's statement on his return to Istanbul from a visit to himin his prison on the island of Imrali.